Variable counterpoise for gates.



No. 787,175. PATENTED'APR.11, 1905. J. HAWKESWORTH & R. A. MQGULLOGH.

VARIABLE GOUNTERPOISE FOR GATES.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.17, 19057 ATTORNEYS WITNESSES: yaw/ga k:

UNTTED STATES Patented. April Ill, 1905.

PATENT @FFTQLE.

JOHN HA \\l\'lCS\\'()l lII, OF NIHY YORK, N. Y., AND ROBERT A. MOUULLOCH, OF ORANGE, NLHY JERSEY.

VARIABLE COUNTERPOISE FOR GATES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 787,175, dated April 11, 1905.

Application lileil January 17,1905. Serial No. 241,433.

To rr.// (rho/)1, if 121/11 (on/cent:

Be it known that we, JouX H.\\v1(us\vou'ru, a resident of the city of New York, borough of anhattan, in the county and State of New York, and Romcu'r A. McUULLoou, a resident of ()range, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, citizens of the United States, have invented a new and Improved Variable tlounterpoise for Gates, of which the following is a.full, clear. and exact description.

The purpose of the invention is to provide a variable couuterpoise for any form of gate intended to open by pivotal movement in a vertical plane or acounterpoise for anyequivalent Object intended for sumlar movement.

The invention consists in the novel construt-tion and ,-ombination of the several parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to he had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this spccication, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure l is a front elevation of a vertically opening and closing gate, a portion of the fence, and the gate-post, the post to which the gate is pivoted being in section, disclosing a counterpoise in normal position. Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the post to which the gate is pivoted, taken at right angles to the section shown in Fig. 1 and illustrating in side elevation the counterpoise also in normal position. Fig. 13 is a view similar to Fig.

2, showing the counter-poise in the position it l ln the drawings we have illustrated the counter-poise as applied. to a gate A of the gate is immaterial, and, further, in said drawings B represents a line of fence, the keeper-post, and C the post to which the gate is pivoted, as shown at 10, to open and close in a vertical plane. The post (1' is tubular, and in the form of the counterpoise l) illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, and b the cap of the post has a central opening 11 therein and lugs 12, extending up at opposite sides of the 1 opening, in which lugs the trunnionsor pivotpins 13 of a grooved pulley 11 are mounted, and in the further construction of the post (1' a platform bracket or floor 15 is provided at or near its bottom.

The counterpoise consists of a series of weights 16, held in a series orstringone above the other by opposing flexible cormections l7, and such connection may consist of chains or strips of leather, fabric, or a combination of both, or very pliable metal, as illustrated; but we do not confine ourselves to any particular material for such purpose. The weights 113 may be of any desired number and are secured to the connecting mediums 1T inany desired manner by rivets 18, for example, and the weights are usually but not necessarily placed in the string or series at regular intervals apart. As the gate is opened the weights are intended to come successively to rest one upon the other after the lowermost weight has rested upon the bottom 15 of the post U 'lherefore, by preference, the weights are so formed that one may hear more or less flatly upon the other. In Figs. 1, 2. and 3 the weights are in the form of disks of such size that they have free movement in the post C. The connecting mediums 17 extend above the uppermost weight and are secured to the ends of a cross-rod 19, and on said rod a grooved pulley 20 is mounted to turn. being in vertical alincment with the pulley 11 on the post C. One end of a rope, chain, or cable 21 is secured to the bottom portion of the gate at or about its center, as is shown in Fig. 1, and is then carried over the pulley 11 on the post 0 and thence downward under the pulley 20 and is secured at its upper end within the post at a point above and in front of the pulley 2t), folding or lazy-tongs type; but the form of l as is also shown in Fig. 1.

The freely-suspended weights hung vertically one above the other constitute a variable counterpoise-and are all that is necessary to bring the gate entirely from the horizontal to the vertical position, but are in no manner intended to act as a cushioning device in conjunction with some other counterpoise which does the main part of the work of balancing the gate. In fact, the string or series of weights is the only counterpoise used, and when all of the weights are suspended they exactly balance the gate in its closed position, while when all the weights are at rest they balance the gate in its open position. This counterpoise also enables the gate to be readily thrown upward, at which time the lower weight will first come to rest upon the fioor 15 in the post C, the next weight will then rest upon the one first placed, and so on successively each weight will find rest upon the one next below until when the gate is fully open all the weights will be at rest, supported by the floor 15.

Under the foregoing construction and arrangement the gate is exactly balanced at as many points in its course from the horizontal to the yertical as the number of suspended weights.

In FigsA: and 5 we have illustrated a slightlymodified form of counterpoise D, located in a post C the post being closed at the top by a cap 23, and in the upper portion of that part of the post facing the gate a slot 24 is produced, and a grooved pulley 25 is mounted to turn in the said post just back of the slot 24, as is shown particularly in Fig. 4. The counterpoise D consists of a number of weights 26, which are also shown in the form of disks; but each weight 26 is provided with a well or recess 27 in its upper face, and the weights 26 are connected by a chain 28, while a chain 29 is secured to the uppermost weight, and the said chain is passed over the pulley 25 and out through the opening 24 for attachment to the gate A or other object to be operated upon in like manner as the cable 21 heretofore described. The operation of the Having thus described our invention, we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. A hollow support, an object pivoted to the said support for vertical movement, a counterpoise for the said object, comprising a free-hanging series of weights arranged in the hollow support, a permanent rest in the support for the lowermost weight, a rollerguide carried at the upper portion of the support, and a connection between the upper portion of the counterpoise and the lower portion of the said-object carried by the support, the said connection passing over the said roller-guide.

2. A hollow post, an object mounted on the said post for pivotal movement in a vertical direction, a counterpoise suspended in the said post, consisting of flexibly-connected weights in disk form, a platform in the lower part of the post adapted to receive and support the weights in one position of the counterpoise, and a roller-guided connection between the counterpoise and the object carried by the said post.

3. A tubular post, a gate pivoted to the post and adapted for movement in a vertical direction and roller-bearings located at the upper portion of the post, a counterpoise consisting of a series of flexibly-connected hanging weights in disk form suspended in the tubular post, a fixed support in the lower part of said post for the lowermost weight of the series, the said weights being adapted as the gate is raised to successively rest one on the other when the lowermost weight has reached said. fixed support, and a cable attached to the lower portion of the said gate, which cable passes over the said roller-bearing and into the hollow post to a connection with the upper portion of the counterpoise, for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN HAWVKESNORTH ROBERT A. MOUULLOCH.

W'itnesses:

J. FRED. AoKER, EVERARD BOLTON MARsHALL. 

